If a reusable medical instrument is being used with a patient, then it requires cleaning after its application to the patient. Cleaning of instrumental channels of medical products is particularly difficult.
German patent application DE 2006 001 076 A1 discloses a cleaning brush composed of a long, flexible carrier element and a digitally attached brush head. A section of the carrier element extends beyond the bridge head on its digital side. Lengthening the rod-shaped carrier element avoids the scattering of liquids by a swinging or springing motion by the carrier element. Thanks to the distribution of impure materials in the instrument channel by the brush, cleaning with this cleaning brush does not yield a satisfactory cleaning result.
European patent application EP 1105061 B1 discloses a method and device for cleaning a soiled lumen of an endoscope, by which the impure materials are distributed uniformly inside the instrument channel by pulling and pushing the cleaning device in the instrument channel. Thereafter, this film uniformly distributed in the channel is treated with an enzymatic cleaning liquid. In this case the cleaning device does not serve to remove substances that are to be expelled from the instrument channel, but rather serves for uniform distribution to improve the subsequent treatment with an enzymatic cleaning liquid. The cleaning effect is not sufficient.
The design patent DE 20200700793 U1 discloses a cleaning wick for an instrument channel of a medical instrument. It shows a wick that comprises an adhesive flocking in a partial area. The fibers consist of synthetic material or else natural fibers. When using this cleaning device, the total soiling is distributed after a single pass through the instrument channel, upon withdrawing the cleaning device in the instrument channel. It is necessary to perform a subsequent treatment with cleaning fluid or a repeated cleaning after washing the fibers of the cleaning device.
It is the object of the invention to disclose a method and a device for cleaning medical instrument channels that produce an efficient, good cleaning result.